Written by a Sicilian prince who died in 1957 thinking his work would never be published,this novel seems destined to take its place among the classics of world literature. — The story is set in the vivid and austere grandeur of Sicily and centers on the life of Don Fabrizio, a remarkable man, a tolerant despot who rules over thousands of acres a... more »nd hundreds of people, including his own family. He is the "Leopard," so named for the proud beast emblazoned on his family's coat of arms.

The time is 1860, Garibaldi and his redshirts have landed in Sicily on their way to overthrow the Bourbon monarchy in Naples. Power is rapidly passing from the hands of the feudal landowners to the new bourgeoisie.

In a series of vivid episodes, the author brilliantly portrays Don Fabrizio's emotions and thoughts as he reacts to the inexorable events that are hastening the death of his aristocratic, leisurely, lavish way of life.

Through the theme of "The Leopard" is elegiac, the writing is entertainment of the highest order. A highly civilized man of the world calls on his abilities as philosopher, historian, poet and psychologist to sum up, at the end of his life, his own vision of the human condition in a work of unforgettable reality.

(This comes from the page inside the front cover, not from the back of the book.)« less